[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 130 (Tuesday, September 15, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Page S9380]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS

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SENATE RESOLUTION 266--RECOGNIZING THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF JOHN SWEENEY TO 
                    THE UNITED STATES LABOR MOVEMENT

  Mrs. GILLIBRAND (for herself, Mr. Schumer, Mr. Durbin, Mr. Harkin, 
Mr. Kerry, Mr. Dodd, Mr. Wyden, Mr. Menendez, Ms. Stabenow, Ms. 
Klobuchar, Mr. Casey, Mr. Franken, Mr. Brown, Mr. Reed, Mr. Sanders, 
Mrs. Murray, Mr. Merkley, Mr. Lautenberg, Mr. Levin, Mr. Leahy, Mr. 
Begich, Mr. Lieberman, Mrs. Boxer, Mrs. McCaskill, Mr. Akaka, Mrs. 
Shaheen, Mr. Kaufman, Mr. Webb, and Mr. Tester) submitted the following 
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary:

                              S. Res. 266

       Whereas John Sweeney was born in the Bronx, New York, to 
     hard-working Irish immigrant parents, who instilled in him a 
     sense of faith, a commitment to justice, and a love for the 
     United States and its infinite potential to provide 
     opportunity to all people;
       Whereas John Sweeney was raised by his father, a bus 
     driver, and his mother, a domestic worker, who both worked 
     hard to allow him to attend St. Joseph's School, Cardinal 
     Hayes High School, and Iona College, where he worked as a 
     porter and a grave digger to help pay for his tuition;
       Whereas because of his upbringing and his experiences 
     growing up, John Sweeney gave up a high-paying career to 
     dedicate his life to helping the labor movement and improving 
     the lives of millions of working families across the United 
     States;
       Whereas John Sweeney's career in the labor movement has 
     taken him from working on behalf of the factory workers of 
     the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union (ILGWU) and 
     the doormen and cleaning women of the Service Employees 
     International Union (SEIU) to being elected, in October 1995, 
     to serve as the president of the American Federation of Labor 
     and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO);
       Whereas John Sweeney transformed labor organization and 
     engaged the people of the United States on economic justice 
     issues through methods such as the innovative ``Justice for 
     Janitors'' campaign, while also nearly doubling the 
     membership of the SEIU during his time as its president, 
     making it the first union to reach 1,000,000 members;
       Whereas John Sweeney led efforts at SEIU that resulted in 
     landmark equal wage rulings for female building employees and 
     launched an organization drive that gave nearly 20,000 home 
     care employees a voice in improving their own income and 
     working conditions;
       Whereas John Sweeney has served as a transformational 
     figure for millions of working individuals in the United 
     States, and as president of the AFL-CIO, he has worked to 
     revitalize and modernize the role of labor unions, train a 
     new generation of organizers, promote diversity in union 
     leadership, and make unions a driving force for social 
     justice;
       Whereas under John Sweeney's leadership, the National Labor 
     College has become a first-rate institute of higher learning, 
     providing an unparalleled opportunity for advancement to 
     countless workers in the United States;
       Whereas John Sweeney has fought on multiple fronts for 
     legislation that advances justice, opportunity, and fairness 
     for workers and their families, including legislation for a 
     fair minimum wage, increased family leave, and improved 
     worker health and safety rules;
       Whereas because of his mother's experiences as a domestic 
     worker, John Sweeney has personally dedicated himself to 
     working on a Domestic Workers Bill of Rights for the State of 
     New York;
       Whereas John Sweeney has championed the effort to provide 
     high-quality health care that is affordable and available to 
     everyone in the United States; and
       Whereas John Sweeney, as an author, father, grandfather, 
     organizer, and inveterate advocate for the voiceless, 
     continues to inspire a new generation of labor leaders: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) recognizes the contributions that John Sweeney has made 
     to the labor movement and to the lives of working men and 
     women across the United States;
       (2) congratulates John Sweeney on his decades of 
     extraordinary and dedicated service; and
       (3) honors John Sweeney for his commitment to economic and 
     social justice and his tireless advocacy on behalf of the 
     working families of this Nation.

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